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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28130364">Protectors</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/'>Anonymous</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Claustrophobia, M/M, Minor Character Death, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:17:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28130364</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After arriving in Atlas and becoming a real Huntsman, Jaune began to spend a lot of time with fellow rookie Marrow. Over the course of that time, the two of them slowly become closer than either had ever imagined.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Marrow Amin/Jaune Arc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Anonymous</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Cave-In</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jaune’s boots crunched through the snow as he braced himself against the whipping wind of the Solitas tundra. JNR and Marrow had been sent to clear a sector of Grimm and were doing quite well for themselves. Jaune had been acting as bait for the Grimm while Ren, Nora, and Marrow shot at them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should have asked for a gun,” Jaune griped as a Sabyr climbed upon his shield, only to get blasted off by Marrow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Keep it up, Jaune!” Marrow called, flashing him a smile and throwing his boomerang in an arc, killing the Grimm approaching him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Over the past few weeks in Atlas, Jaune and Marrow had established a sort of friendship. If Jaune had to guess when it began, it would probably have been when Marrow first stole his cup of coffee. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maybe “stole” was being dramatic. Marrow had really convinced Jaune to hand it over simply with his big, beaut- </span>
  <em>
    <span>desperate</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His desperate eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His reverie was interrupted when Nora crashed her hammer down on a Sabyr that was approaching Jaune from behind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, Jaune! You gotta keep your head in the game!” Nora chided playfully. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, right,” Jaune nodded, shaking the thoughts in his head loose. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few more minutes of the same strategies, Marrow declared the area clear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now we get onto the real mission,” Marrow said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What?” Team JNR asked in unison.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“See that cave over there?” Marrow asked, pointing south.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune had seen that cave earlier but had not really registered it in his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let me guess. We have to clear it out?” Ren asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right on the money!” Marrow declared.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marching through the snow, JNR and Marrow entered the cave and were met with two paths.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ren, Nora, you two go left, Marrow and I will go right,” Jaune ordered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Nora saluted and Ren nodded as they broke off down the left path while Jaune and Marrow took the right. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking careful steps down the ice-covered path, Jaune walked aside Marrow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So… how long have you been an Ace Op?” </span>
</p>
<p><span>“Since a little bit after the Fall of Beacon.”</span><span><br/></span> <span>“Oh…”</span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, the General needed more hands on deck so he added me to the team.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s nice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You were there, weren’t you?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... I was.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that where you lost a teammate?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“...Yeah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll stop talking now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marrow looked forwards and the silence hung in the air between them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re fine. I’ve… made my peace with it,” Jaune said. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marrow hummed in response, looking downtrodden. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An invisible fist seemed to squeeze Jaune’s heart when he looked at the older man’s expression. Jaune couldn’t stand the idea of Marrow being sad. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Jaune was about to speak up, the walls began to rumble.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Pinpointing the source, Jaune had drawn Crocea Mors and it was already in motion by the time the Centinel emerged from the wall. The blade made contact and cut through the Centinel like butter. Gravity didn’t even have time to take hold before the beast disintegrated. Activating the shield portion of Crocea Mors, Jaune stood at the ready with Marrow, looking intently for any more Grimm. The floor under Marrow began to vibrate, and he deftly stepped back as another Centinel emerged from directly under where Marrow had just been standing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Marrow lashed out with his foot, sending the Centinal sprawling to an ideal shooting range, and blasted the bug. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In combat stances, Jaune and Marrow waited for more Grimm. Moments of tense silence passed. When nothing came, the duo lowered their weapons and tentatively continued through the cave when the wall exploded next to Jaune. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An unusually large Centinel tackled him to the ground and Crocea Mors slid out of his grip. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Centinel jabbed its face towards his neck, intent on ripping his throat out but was met with his vambraces.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Stunned for only a fraction of a second, Marrow raised his rifle and fired, shots pinging off the large Grimm’s heavy bone armor. Jaune continued to wrestle with the bug. As their grudge match continued, the Centinel hucked up a lob of acid, which damaged Jaune’s Aura and nearly flew into his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was when Jaune saw the glowing red underbelly of the Centinel and the firing of Marrow’s rifle that his eyes widened with terror. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Marrow sto-!” Jaune began to say.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it was too late. A bullet found its way through the body of the Grimm and ignited the Dust laying inside. Fire consumed Jaune’s vision as he was thrown into the wall. Jaune fell to the ground and felt his Aura leave his body. Flipping onto his back his eyes widened as he instinctively curled behind his shield and smashed the button that activated the Gravity Dust imbued in his symbol as he was consumed by thundering darkness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune felt a sharp pain on his brow and warmness spilling over the left of his face. He was probably bleeding. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune tried to move his limbs but found it impossible to shift them more than a few centimeters. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next thing Jaune noticed was the pressure all over his body and the darkness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not the darkness… not again. The pressure. Being unable to move. It was just like when she… </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The thoughts began to invade Jaune’s head. The ones he thought were defeated at Argus. </span>
  <em>
    <span>The last time you were like this, she died. Now he will too.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No…” Jaune strangled out as he began to fight against the tons of rock pinning him down. The rocks did not give way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, not again!” He cried desperately, fighting against gravity with everything he had. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once again, the rocks did not budge. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, no, don’t take him too!” Jaune wailed to the universe as tears began to spill from his eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With no Aura and fighting with all his might, Jaune had defeated himself in no time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Having no strength left to fight, and the darkness stealing his will, Jaune could only lie back and cry.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t lose anyone else,” Jaune whimpered, “I’m not strong enough.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Time passed and the only way Jaune could tell he was still conscious was by focusing on the pain in his brow, the warm wetness dripping down his face, and his own hyperventilation</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, the sound of Jaune’s rapid breathing was accompanied by another.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“-aun-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rock’s shifted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaune-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The rocks shifted once more and the blackness receded, replaced by a beam of light.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune could see Marrow through the crevice. He was okay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaune!” Marrow called, “Can you hear me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With the light’s presence and the confirmation of Marrow’s safety, Jaune focused on steadying his breathing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaune?” Marrow asked again, more tentatively this time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y-yeah, I’m here,” Jaune managed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, Jaune, I think I can get you out, but I need help. Can you help me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Name it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Activate the Gravity Dust in your shield.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But that would just-” Jaune started, before realizing what Marrow had in mind, “Yeah, okay, I can do that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, on three. One… two… three!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune thumbed the Gravity Dust activation button and the rocks on top of him were blasted by purple force.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Before the rocks began to fall, Marrow pointed at the cluster and commanded, “Stay!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hanging suspended in midair, Jaune worked fast to free his legs of the remaining rubble before bounding clear of the debris.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once Jaune was a safe distance away, Marrow ceased his hold on the rocks, letting them fall to the ground. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune staggered over to where he dropped Crocea Mors and bent down to pick it up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Holy crap, man, you’re a mess!” Marrow exclaimed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huh?” Jaune asked stupidly, before looking down at himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His armor was dinged, chipped, and scorched all over while his jeans and shirt were torn in a dozen different places.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune’s hand shot to their sash and frantically searched for any rips or tears. Miraculously, it was no worse for wear than when Jaune had first began to wear it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Jaune.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm?” Jaune looked up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re bleeding.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jaune’s hand subconsciously wiped his face and came back with blood on it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess I am,” Jaune said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Your Aura’s out, then?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It was. It’s back now, though. Head’s all closed up. I bet it will leave a scar, though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s alright. Scars are ho- cool, cool. Scars are cool.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Should we get back the mission?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I guess we should.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Continuing through the cave, Jaune and Marrow walked just a little bit closer together. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Tragedy Part 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jaune sat beside Marrow as the Manta airship flew over the rolling foothills of southern Vale. Marrow was following the GPS to the destination that Jaune had set. Team ALPN and Marrow had parted ways with Team RWBY and Qrow, who were on their way to Vacuo to defend the Relic of Destruction. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Jaune would have loved nothing more than to accompany them, but he had to put the needs of his team first. Jaune was sporting minor injuries, his armor was dinged and scratched, and a Sabyr’s claws had slashed through his Aura, leaving him with a trio of nasty facial scars. Ren’s ribs were broken and he had been limping for a few days now, Nora was still recovering from the electricity overdose, and Oscar could hardly stand after being rescued from Salem.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Eventually the hilly terain opened to a valley with a small settlement nestled inside. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Fond memories of a past life swam through Jaune’s mind as a small smile graced his face. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“There’s the destination,” Marrow muttered, dipping the control stick and directing the airship downwards.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Setting down outside the town’s walls, the group of five exited the airship, with Nora and Ren supporting each other, and Marrow supporting Oscar. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Walking by the side of his friends, Jaune stopped for a moment to look at the walls. They were worse than before he left. Covered in claw marks and even some spots of blood. It wasn’t a surprise. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Jaune, you coming?” Marrow called back, snapping Jaune loose from the entanglement of his mind.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Huh? Oh, right,” Jaune muttered, hurrying back to the group. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Entering the gates, Jaune took charge of the group and began to guide them through the streets. The looks the locals threw Jaune’s way did not go unnoticed by any of them. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“So, Jaune, what exactly is this place? People seem to know you.” Marrow asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Yeah. They probably thought I was dead,” Jaune chuckled. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Why’s that?” </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Probably because I left here for Beacon and hadn’t looked back until now.” </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>In Marrow’s eyes, Jaune could see him putting two and two together. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“What?! You never told home you were okay after Beacon fell?”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“After Beacon fell… I didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be okay for a long time. I didn’t have the will to touch a pen and send a letter saying I was okay. Then I found out about Salem… and I decided that home would be better off thinking I died at Beacon than being glad I was okay and then finding out I died fighting her and going through the grief all over again. I only reconnected with Sapron in Argus because we needed a place to stay, and that’s what’s happening now.” Jaune said, looking down. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“So you were just fine with letting your family think you died more than a year ago?” Ren asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Like I said, they’d go through less hurt that way,” Jaune defended.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“So are we going to meet your family?” Nora asked.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Yeah, we are,” Jaune said, “They’re gonna kill me themselves.” </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“We’ll make sure it doesn’t come to that,” Oscar encouraged. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“Thanks. Welcome to Rouen, by the way.”</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Jaune continued to guide his companions through the streets of Rouen, pointing out diners and hangout spots, or Jaune’s favorite hobby shop as they went along, and waving to anyone he happened to know who was shocked to see him alive.</span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>The casual trip down memory lane was halted when they found themselves in the yard of a rather sizable house. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>“You guys may want to stand a bit back,” Jaune warned as he approached the front door. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Jaune stood in fron the of the door, static, for a good minute and a half. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>The muscles in his arm didn’t seem to want to move, and his heart pounded in his ears. Eventually, Jaune steeled his nerves and breathed in. His fingers curled into a fist and his elbow bent, bringing his fist up. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Jaune took another breath and his hand lashed out, one, two, three times on the door. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Quickly backing up a foot, Jaune waited for the inevitable  footsteps approaching the door. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>When they came, they were like the thunder of the approaching creature in an old monster movie. Slow, deliberate, designed to instill dread. </span>
</p><p>
  
  <span>Jaune heard the click of the lock, and saw the doorknob turn in slow motion. He took another breath. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the door swung open, a middle aged woman with graying blonde hair and blue eyes stood in the way. Her mouth hung open in shock and the two stared each other down until Jaune akwardly broke the standoff.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh… hi, Mom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After another moment of silence, Jaune could begin to see tears form in the eyes of the woman before she launched herself at Jaune, burying her face in the hard steel of his armor and hardly coming up to his chin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, all of Jaune’s anxiety abated. He was basked in the warm and comforting presence of everything good in this world.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaune wasted no time in embracing his mother after two long years of being apart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Placing his face in the crown of his mother’s head, Jaune could feel her beginning to break down. Her body tremored and eventually her knees gave out, Jaune kneeled down with her and mother and son took comfort in each other’s presence as Jaune began to leak tears of his own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Eventually they parted and his mother looked up at his face and her hand cupped his cheek before running her fingers over the fresh scars on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where have you been all this time?” She asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Around,” Jaune muttered as he wiped his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Jaune, I hate to ruin the moment, but why don’t you introduce us!” Nora shouted from a few yards back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Getting to his feet, and helping his mother do the same, Jaune wrapped an arm around her and pointed towards his companions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Guys, this is my mother, Iris Arc. Mom, these are my friends, Nora, Ren, Oscar, and Marrow,” Jaune introduced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why- why don’t you all come inside?” Iris asked, stepping inside and holding the door open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the quartet of Jaune’s friends entered his childhood home, Jaune noticed Ren’s breathing becoming uneven.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaune quickly approached and took Nora off of his hands before suggesting, “We can put Nora in Saph’s old room.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Entering the house, a wave of nostalgia hit Jaune like that mech. All the family pictures were still in place, the furniture hadn’t changed a bit, and that lightbulb in the kitchen still hadn’t been replaced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was good to be home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After Marrow placed Oscar in Jaune’s room, and Jaune helped Nora into Saphron’s old bed, Marrow, Jaune, and Ren reconvened in the living room of Jaune’s home with Iris. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, Mom, this is a smaller welcoming party than I expected,” Jaune joked, “Where is everyone?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well they have lives too, you know,” Iris quipped before answering, “Vermillion finally got a job, so she’s been working like a dog, Rose is in school right now, Mary is at the library, and Skylar and Maya are off horsing around in the woods with whatever new friend they haven’t scared off yet, and your father is on a mission,” Iris recounted. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marrow’s brow knitted together in confusion. Didn’t Jaune have seven sisters? Jaune told him once that all of them except Saphron lived at home, and Iris had only listed off five girls. Where was the sixth?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stealing a glance at Ren, Marrow could tell he was thinking the same thing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaune didn’t seem to notice the exclusion of one, and continued the conversation, asking about Vermillion’s job and the twins’ new friend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a half an hour of light hearted discussion, Iris became serious and asked Jaune, “Why did you never come home?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The easy smile that occupied Jaune’s face faded. He looked away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I… I had a mission,” Jaune said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mission?” Iris asked incredulously, “Jaune you hadn’t even completed your first year, then your school is attacked and you go on a mission? And not once on that mission did you find the time to write to us to say that you were okay? That you were safe?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I wasn’t okay, Mom. I wasn’t okay for a long time… and the mission was dangerous. I didn’t think I’d be coming back, so I thought it would be best for you to lose me only once.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iris began to tear up as she spoke, “Jaune… burying one of my babies is hard enough, but until now I thought we had to bury two in one year.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iris’ eyes widened as she realized her mistake, Jaune’s head snapped in his mother’s direction. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Oh no. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Marrow thought, once again putting the pieces together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom… wh-what do you mean?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iris stayed silent as tears leaked out of her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mom. Mom, what happened to Scout?” Jaune asked desperately. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marrow’s hearing picked up Jaune’s racing heart. His breathing was fast and his eyes manic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It… it was c-cancer, Jaune. We found it just after Beacon fell, b-but by then it was too late.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The only readable emotion on Jaune’s face was pure and utter shock until he buried his face in his hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jaune-” Ren started, reaching for his brother before Jaune shot up and sprinted out the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ren tried to run after him, but the limp made it impossible. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marrow put a hand on Ren’s shoulder and said, “I’ll get him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Marrow raced after Jaune, he could just barely hear Iris say “I didn’t want him to find out like this.”</span>
</p>
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